How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher
- The Buffalo
- o Reflection
- Autobiography: Truths and Lies
- o Characters
- o Setting
- o Plot
- o Lies about writing your story
- § You have to be a famous celebrity.
- § You must have an amazing life.
- § You can’t write your life story until you’re old and gray.
- § Nobody will read it, so what’s the point?
- o Reflection
- Getting Started
- o Brainstorm your stories
- o Collect family stories
- o Gather artifacts from your life.
- o Write about your name.
- o Sketch a map of your neighborhood.
- o Make a “Heart Map.”
- o Reflection
- Interview with Jack Gantos
- o Reflection
- Finding a Focus
- o Reflection
- Thinking About Form
- o Biography
- o Autobiography
- o Memoir
- o The vignette or “micro-memoir
- o Snapshots
- o Poetry
- o Multi-genre
- o Reflection
- Crafting Your Story
- o Write small
- o Invigorate your verbs
- o Create your characters
- o Wake up your narrator
- o Reflection
- Interview with Jerry Spinelli
- o Reflection
- The “So What?” Question
- o Reflection
- A Matter of Time
- o Time Left Out
- o Particular Time
- o Habitual Time
- o Reflection
- Dealing with the Hard Stuff
- o Reflection
- Interview with Kathi Appelt
- o Reflection
- Final Words
- o Reflection
- Some Suggested Memoirs
- o Reflection